Rio Ferdinand may face action from the Euopean governing body after
undignified scenes at the end of Manchester United's defeat to Real Madrid
that saw him sarcastically clap in the face of referee Cuneyt Cakir
following the Turkish official's decision to send of Nani changed the course
of the game.

A big hand: Rio Ferdinand taunts the match referee at the end of Manchester United's defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions LeaguePhoto: REUTERS

The United centre-back is expected to discover his fate by the end of the week after Cakir and his officials have submitted their match report to the governing body.

Should Cakir include the incident in the report - which must be submitted within 48 hours of the match - Uefa will decide what action, if any, will be taken.

Previously, United have seen Wayne Rooney handed a ban for a similar incident during a Champions League game with Villarreal in 2005. However, on that occasion the United player was reacting to himself already being sent off.

While Ferdinand is yet to make any official comment following his side's European exit, he thanked United fans on his Twitter feed, saying their support was the loudest he had heard "at any ground throughout [his] career."

<noframe>Twitter: Rio Ferdinand - I must say last night our fans done us + our club proud. Best/loudest support I've heard at ANY ground throughout my career. Thank you</noframe>

Following the controversy at Old Trafford, former United captain Gary Neville said Cakir's decision to hand Nani a straight red card for his rash challenge on Álvaro Arbelo "ruined a fascinating match".

"Been going to OT [Old Trafford] since age of 5 and I've never seen the whole ground as in disbelief as they were last night at a decision," he said on Twitter.

"Nani is a player who regularly tries to control a pass like this over his shoulder and its never a red card! Changed the whole game! Poor ref.

"Just ruined a fascinating match and didn't feel right to Utd or Madrid people in the stadium."

Roy Keane, though, believes the referee made the right decision.

The former United midfielder and team-mate of Neville's, working as a television pundit for ITV, said: "I think the referee has actually made the right call. Everyone's upset about it and it's slightly unlucky, but it's dangerous play. Whether he meant it or not is irrelevant. It's dangerous play - it's a red card.

"You have to be aware of other players on the pitch. Does he think he's going to have 20 yards to himself?

"Whether it's [a brave decision] or not, it's the right decision. Whether he meant it or not doesn't matter.

"Nani's a quick boy to go down anyway. He's not the bravest player on the planet."

Keane insisted the referee had carefully considered his decision.

He added: "It doesn't matter if he knows there's somebody there or not, it's irrelevant. I don't think the referee actually made the decision because he waited a couple of minutes while the player was getting treatment.

"I think it might have been the assistant that made the decision, and I actually think he's made the right call.

"We always say referees are very quick to make decisions - he waited a couple of minutes.

"Any time I was sent off in my career I always thought, 'did I give the referee chance to send me off?' And if the answer is yes, then it's out of your hands."